People with serious mental illness have mortality rates 2-3 times as high as the general population. The primary cause of death is cardiovascular disease, which in turn is due to an extremely high prevalence of obesity (twice that of the overall population). Physical inactivity, unhealthy diets, and weight gain from psychotropic medication are all factors [read the full story…]
Introduction This report, published by the Patient Information Forum (PIF) and its accompanying briefings, is aimed at policy makers, commissioners, and information specialists. It is informed by 300 research papers and experts in the area of patient information, including representatives from NHS Choices, General Practice, Informed Medical Decisions Foundation, the Health Foundation, and the Information [read the full story…]
Introduction This guidance has been prepared for commissioners and all staff providing lifestyle advice in primary care, including community health and allied health professionals, such as physiotherapists. It aims to raise awareness of the issues caused by inactivity, not just for individuals, but for the health service and economy as a whole, and provides a [read the full story…]
Significant fear of dental injections has been reported in as many as one in four adults. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of Computer Assisted Relaxation Learning (CARL) with an informational pamphlet for reducing dental injection fear. CARL is a self-paced, computerized program based on systematic desensitization aimed at reducing fear [read the full story…]
This new 30-page guide (PDF) is a must read for any health and social care professionals who are thinking about getting more involved with social media. Twitter remains a terrifying prospect for many professionals working in health and social care, but in my experience it’s very rare for someone to actually give it a go, [read the full story…]
Smoking continues to be the greatest single preventable cause of premature illness and death in developed countries. Although rates of smoking have fallen, over 20% of the adult population in the UK continues to smoke. Anything which can be done to help people stop smoking will therefore have substantial public health benefits. More and more [read the full story…]
The World Health Organisation (WHO) considers harmful drinking as the third largest contributor to the Global Burden of Disease, an index of disability, poor health and mortality. The majority of people who suffer from alcohol use disorders do not receive any treatment, due in part to lack of access. One way of increasing the availability [read the full story…]
It can be incredibly difficult to talk about mental health conditions like depression, both for the person going through the illness and the friends and family who are trying to offer support. We know that overcoming this fear and talking through mental health problems can be a real life-saver and this message runs through the [read the full story…]
Anyone who’s spent any time at all on the Mental Elf website, or any of the other National Elf Service sites, knows that we elves love succinct and focused summaries that are easy to read and quick to digest. It’s always a delight to see other groups publishing similar resources, so I’ve decided today to [read the full story…]
The benefits of exercise for a healthy lifestyle are now well understood. However, there are issues relating to the physiology of people with Down syndrome which might suggest limitations to the extent to which they can engage in cardiovascular or resistance exercises. we also know that many people with Down syndrome are overweight or obese. [read the full story…]
